Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What does the red button near the gear shift lever do?

Answer: The red button is only fitted to cars with the automatic gearbox. The Japanese writing near the button says ‘shift lock system’ and the writing on the button itself says ‘Release’. The purpose of this button is to move the car out of park without starting the engine. The other answer is an ejector seat!

Question: Are there any handbooks or workshop manuals in English

Answer: No – the Sera was a Japanese market vehicle only, so all specific manuals are in Japanese. I can get the drivers handbook translated but would require 100 orders at £ 25.00 a time.

Question: I can’t find any bulbs for the dip beam headlamp unit.

Answer: The dip beam bulb is not a common European bulb. It is the H3C and this is very similar to the European H3 bulb. In fact bulb mounting and filament are identical. The differences is that the H3C has two terminals on the back of the bulb, and the H3 has one terminal. To use the H3 bulb, you need to make a short cable, with one male spade terminal on one end (this connects to the Sera wiring loom) and a female spade terminal on the other (this connects to an earthing tag which is on the back of the headlamp next to the dip beam bulb holder. The H3 bulb connects to the other terminal on the wiring loom. This method is sometimes known as the “Lewis” method – as Paul Lewis, Sera owner near Birmingham, discovered this trick…

Question: I live in the USA, can I have a SERA?

Answer: The US import regulations do not make it easy to import a car that has not been through the Federal Approval procedure. When the car is 25 years old, then it will get easier. Currently the car could be imported under a recently introduced “show / display” clause, but any car imported under this procedure is limited to 2500 miles per year. The other method is to import the car and make it comply with US regulations, something which would cost US$ 5000 + and several months of waiting.

UPDATE: I was emailed by a Sera owner in Washington. How it got to the US is as yet unknown.

Hopefully a way to get Seras to the US legally will present itself soon.

Question: I live in Europe, can I have a SERA?

Answer: Yes, a Sera can be registered in Europe. I know of three, possibly four Seras in Germany and one Sera in Switzerland. Some modifications are needed before the car is fully legal.

Question: What is the most common colour?

Answer: Based upon registry entries as at 29th October 2002, the following is found. The most common Sera colour is Dark Grey Mica which accounts for roughly 20%. Turquoise 746 appears to be the rarest (I think this was only on the rare phase III Seras (92-95) which would account for this.

UK only

Rest of World

Whole World

Dark Grey

17.6%

22.4%

19.5 %

Wine Red

15.4%

17.2%

16.1 %

Light Silver

13.2%

15.5%

14.1 %

Greenish Yellow

16.5%

8.6%

13.4 %

Light Blue

12.1%

5.2%

9.4 %

Astral Black

5.5%

6.9%

6.0 %

Burnt Orange

5.5%

5.2%

5.4 %

Red

4.4%

6.9%

5.4 %

Medium Blue

3.3%

8.6%

5.4 %

Light Turquoise

5.5%

3.4%

4.7 %

Turquoise

1.1%

0.0%

0.7 %

Cars that have been repainted are not included.
Cars whose colour has not been specified has not been included.
Sample was 91 UK cars and 58 cars outside the UK.

Question: How many SERAs were made?

Answer: I am not 100% sure, but at least 15852, but certainly under 16000.

The first table shows how many cars were registered in Japan per year.

1990

9665

1991

3727

1992

1238

1993

578

1994

345

1995

272

1996

8

TOTAL

15852

However, importing niche market cars from Japan to the UK was becoming a lucrative business in the early 1990’s, and I am sure it was the same story in other countries. Some of these cars may not necessarily have been registered in Japan before being exported.

phase 3 was made between 1st June 1992 and the end of production during December 1995

This information was found on a Russian website and shows the chassis numbers per month. Sales started in March 1990 and ended in December 1995. Maybe the last cars were ordered in 12/95 but were made and delivered during 1996?

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

January

1033

11982

14808

15818

16346

16679

16943

February

1053

12239

14909

15858

16369

16688

March

1721

12564

14997

15909

16411

16706

April

2997

12853

15140

15974

16458

16736

May

4148

12936

15184

16041

16480

16759

June

5353

13299

15246

16075

16513

16781

July

6557

13592

15334

16120

16544

16803

August

1001

7814

13937

15453

16158

16577

16836

September

1005

8839

14108

15552

16200

16598

16846

October

—

10116

14350

15624

16250

16619

16874

November

1013

10996

14543

15694

16297

16633

16890

December

1030

11565

14704

15764

16234

16659

16930

Question: How many versions of the SERA was there?

Answer: Well, there was only one engine option and only one body option, so there was really only one Toyota SERA, but it was never quite as easy as that because the price lists were laid out in a grid to help quickly determine the cost of the car with the major options – manual or auto, with or without SLSS, with or without ABS (extra ¥ 91,000). Prices are in Japanese Yen, and were prices at launch – March 1990.

TOYOTA SERA 1.5

MANUAL TRANSMISSION

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

standard
without ABS

¥ 1,600,000

SLSS
without ABS

¥ 1,806,000

standard
without ABS

¥ 1,675,000

SLSS
without ABS

¥ 1,881,000

with ABS¥ 1,691,000

with ABS¥ 1,897,000

with ABS¥ 1,766,000

with ABS¥ 1,972,000

To complicate things further there were two various regional differences, as Japan has quite a range of weather conditions.

There was also a special version with relocated mirrors, the AMLUX limited edition version and a special version made to celebrate the 1st year, where extra equipment was included on the base version of the SERA.

FENDER MIRROR VERSION

AMLUX VERSION

ANNIVERSARY VERSION

extra ¥ 4,000

¥ 1,924,000

no information on cost

wing mirrors mounted on front wings (aka fender)

The normal position for the mirrors on the doors was replaced with a flat cover.

Quite rare – maybe under 50 cars with these mirrors were made.

The Amlux version, named after Toyotas flagship building in Tokyo, was to the first 50 applicants received by 18/10/92, cars were built between 11/92 and 12/92They were based upon the phase III automatic SERA with SLSS.ABS was available as an option. Air bag was an optionSpecial features include…• two-tone green paint
• special colour hubcaps
• blue tinted glass
• choice of 6 special colours of seat material designs
• rear seat cover
• AMLUX logo on mats
• AMLUX logo on door

The translation of the Japanese information I have suggests that there was a personalise name plate on the car, together with personalised seat custion and also special scarf.

This vehicle was a special edition version sold in May 1991, to celebrate the 1st year of Sera production.The car was based upon the standard specification model and the 250 phase II cars built were fitted with an enhanced hi-fi system (although not as good as the premium SLSS system) and special heat reflective glass coating.

Site Sponsor

Opportunities exist for a site sponsor !

UK Sera Sunday III – 30th June 2019

Planning for Sera Sunday III is underway. It will be held at Crich Tramway Museum on the 30th June 2019 after two successful years at the British Motor Museum.
Crich is located 15 miles north of Derby in the shadow of the Peak District, with easy access from the M1.
**Note: revised date**

Special ‘optional extra’ reproduction keys

reproductions of the special & rare 'optional extra' key
See advert under NEWS or on FORUM for details.